The Best and Worst 'Romeo and Juliet' Adaptations

Worst - 'Basilisk' (2005)

The anime film is based on a story taking place in 1614. Two ninja clans -- Tsubagakure of the Iga and Manjidani of Kouga -- are at odds over which grandson is to become the next leader. A battle is set up between 10 elite ninjas from each clan. While all of this is going on, two members of the clans fall in love in a Romeo and Juliet fashion. (Photo/Gonzo Studios)

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'Romeo and Julie...In anticipation for "Gnomeo & Juliet," the latest film adaptation of William Shakespeare's famous love tragedy, we take a look back at some past movie interpretations of "Romeo and Juliet."

Worst - 'Romeo M..."Romeo Must Die" is a Andrzej Bartkowiak-directed martial arts film with a Romeo and Juliet-esque love story starring Jet Li and Aaliyah.

The movie's premise is interesting enough, but the details, including Romeo as an ex-cop out for revenge on the people who murdered his brother, and Juliet as the daughter of the mobster who killed him, don't do the story justice. (Photo/Warner Brothers)

Worst - 'Lion Ki...Did you know the original "Lion King" film was based on Shakespeare's "Hamlet?" Like its predecessor, "Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride" is based on another Shakespeare play, "Romeo and Juliet."

The animated sequel fell short. Unlike the first "Lion King," it failed to translate the classic story into a cartoon. (Photo/Disney)

Worst - 'Basilis...The anime film is based on a story taking place in 1614. Two ninja clans -- Tsubagakure of the Iga and Manjidani of Kouga -- are at odds over which grandson is to become the next leader. A battle is set up between 10 elite ninjas from each clan. While all of this is going on, two members of the clans fall in love in a Romeo and Juliet fashion. (Photo/Gonzo Studios)

Worst - ‘Tromeo ...This independent film, which follows the lives of Tromeo Que and Juliet Capulet, is set in modern day Manhattan. Directed by Lloyd Kaufman and James Gunn, it stays fairly true to Shakespeare’s original play, with the addition of sexuality and violence. Though the film was generally well received by critics, we don't think this is exactly what Shakespeare had in mind. (Photo/Troma Entertainment)

Worst - 'Love Is...1996 must have been the year for bad Shakespeare adaptations. This comic take on the tragic story love story may have been overlooked because it was released the same year as Baz Luhrman's "Romeo + Juliet" spectacle. Or it may have been overlooked for its questionable take on the classic love story.

This film, set in The Bronx, follows Gina (Angelina Jolie) and Rosario (Nathaniel Marston), lovers from two Italian immigrant families who own opposing restaurants. (Photo/MGM)

Worst - 'Romanof...Director, writer and movie star Peter Ustinov updates the classic "Romeo and Juliet" story to a fictional town during the Cold War in "Romanoff and Juliet." (Photo/Universal Pictures)

Worst - 'Romeo &...This animated adaptation of the story tells the tale of the warring Capulets and Montagues, as white and brown colored sea lions. To appease its young audience, the movie ends with the main two seals, Romeo and Juliet, marrying despite opposition from their families. They eventually bring peace to the two seal clans. (Photo/Phil Nibbelink Productions)

Best - 'Gnomeo &...The newest addition to this adaptation list is the animated "Gnomeo & Juliet," voiced by James MacAvoy and Emily Blunt. (Photo/Touchstone Pictures)

Best - 'Chicken ...Cheah Chee-Kong's film adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" explores the age-old feud between two chicken rice hawker families in Singapore. The movie shows the affect the family rivalry has on their children, Fenson Wong and Audrey Chan, who fall in love with each other. (Photo/Raintree Pictures)

Best - 'Romeo an...The film marked the first ballet adaption of Shakespeare’s story. The leads were danced by Margot Fonteyn as Juliet and Rudolf Nureyev as Romeo to a ballet score by Prokofiev. The film was nominated for the Best English-Language Foreign Film Golden Globe in 1966. (Photo/Poetic Films)

Best: 'Romeo and...The 1968 British-Italian film adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” was directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli. The film starred Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as the two star-crossed lovers. The movie was lauded with praise and awards. It won the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design and was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture. (Photo/BHE Films)

Best - 'Romeo an...Laurence Harvey stars as Romeo and Susan Shentall as Juliet in this adaptation of the famous play. It was directed by Renato Castellani who was named by the National Board of Review as Best Director for his work on the movie. Castellani made several changes to his script in order to highlight the class system and intense Catholicism of Renaissance Verona. Some critics agreed with his choices, others found them to be distracting. (Photo/The Rank Organisation)

Best - 'Romeo + ...Australian director Baz Luhrmann modernized Shakespeare’s most famous romantic tragedy in a completely unique way. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes starred at Romeo and Juliet. The movie retains the original Shakespearean dialogue from the play, but the characters are represented by modern day figures (including gangs, businessmen, etc.) The movie was a hit with younger crowds and it aided in bringing the age-old love story to a new generation.

Best - 'West Sid...This film adaptation, based on the 1957 play of the same name, took home 10 Oscars and remains one of the greatest love stories based on "Romeo and Juliet" to date.

The film follows the feud between the Jets and the Sharks, equivalents to Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets, specifically focusing on the love between rival gang members Tony and Maria. (Photo/

Best: 'Romeo and...The first, and arguably greatest, film adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” was directed in 1936 by George Cukor. The film stars actor Leslie Howard as Romeo and actress Norma Shearer as Juliet. Other notable cast members include John Barrymore and Basil Rathbone. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including a nod for Best Picture. In addition, The New York Times selected the adaptation to their “Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made” list. (Photo/MGM)